Complications
by susanatc
Summary: A series of short one-shots. It's a Castle Christmas party and Beckett wonders how her life got so complicated and how she can make it even more so. We'll see how it progresses from there.
1. Chapter 1

_Unless something has changed and I don't know about it, I don't own these characters. A huge thank you to my dear friend, SD, who not only managed to get me hooked on yet another show but who also provided much encouragement to try my hand at writing these characters. For those of you who think it's way too early for a Christmas fic, my apologies. But there has been Christmas music playing at my house for a couple of weeks and I've already been doing Christmas shopping, so I figured what the hey._

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Sometimes I can't help but wonder how my life became so complicated. One day, I'm going about my job - following leads, tracking down evidence, and making sure the bad guys go to jail – and then the next, I'm saddled with a murder mystery writer who shadows my every move under the guise of "research" for his next book. And not just any writer, but him…Richard Castle…the man whose books literally saved my life. The man who has somehow managed to get under my defenses with his charming smile and annoying habit of weaving a tale for every step in our investigation.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I reached out to ring the bell at his apartment. I never should have agreed to attend his Christmas party, but he'd looked so disappointed when I told him that I didn't think I could make it, that I'd postponed leaving to visit my dad so I could spend the evening rubbing shoulders with his rich and famous friends.

His smile when he opened the door made my stomach jump in excitement as I took in his black slacks and cream sweater. "Detective Beckett, I'm so glad you could join us."

He stepped back to allow me entrance and I glanced around as he closed the door behind me. The apartment had been transformed with Christmas decorations and I could hear laughter echoing through the room. "I love what you've done with the place, Castle," I told him as he helped me out of my coat.

"Thank you," he replied graciously. "Although Alexis is the one responsible for the ideas behind the decorations. I merely supplied the grunt work."

After hanging my coat, he turned back and offered his arm. "You look absolutely stunning this evening," he stated as he led me into the apartment.

"Thank you," I replied as I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I would never admit to him that I'd spent an entire day at the mall trying on dresses for his party until I found one that I hoped he would like. The dark blue dress was cut just low enough in the front to show off a bit of cleavage and yet still look elegant, and while it hung to just below my knees, it had just enough of a slit in the side to tease him with glimpses of my legs. It was dangerous…this game I was playing. I was falling hard for him and trying to fight it every step of the way. It was difficult though, when the man was such a constant flirt.

Martha and Alexis joined us then, both of them smiling and offering hugs which I gladly accepted. As much as I didn't want to admit it, it felt good to be accepted by his family.

"The apartment looks lovely, Alexis," I told her.

"Thank you, Detective Beckett," she replied.

The doorbell rang then, and I expected I would be left to mingle with the other guests while Castle played the part of gracious host. I was surprised when he deferred to his mother with a simple, "Mother, would you mind manning the door for a few minutes? I'd like to introduce Detective Beckett to a few people."

"By all means, dear," she replied in her usual graceful manner before sweeping past us towards the door.

"You didn't have to do that," I told him, meeting his eyes and finding them sparkling with merriment.

"I wanted to," he replied. "There are actually a couple of people here that I want to make sure to introduce you." Leaning closer, he whispered, "Besides, it will keep mother away from the liquor for a few more minutes."

I laughed then and accepted his arm again when he held it out to me. Sometimes, the man was irrepressible, but sometimes, he was downright charming.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Are you having a good time?" Alexis asked as she settled on the couch next to me.

"I am," I replied honestly. "It appears as if you Castles know how to throw a party."

"I'm glad you could make it, Detective Beckett," Alexis replied.

"Please, Alexis, call me Kate," I told her. "Detective Beckett sounds way too formal when I'm sitting on the couch in your living room."

She smiled at that and I couldn't help but notice how much it resembled the one her father so often gave me. "Okay then, Kate," she replied. "What are you doing for the holiday?"

"I'm actually taking a few days off work and driving up north to visit my dad," I told her. "I was planning on leaving tonight, but when your dad invited me to be here, I just couldn't tell him no."

"I'm glad," Alexis replied as her eyes searched the room until she found her dad. "It wouldn't have been the same without you here."

"What are you guys doing for the holiday?" I asked, suddenly realizing that I hadn't even bothered to ask Castle.

"We'll have our usual Christmas dinner here with me and dad and gram," she replied. "Then I fly out to California to spend a couple of days with my mom before I have to go back to school."

"California in December sounds like much better weather than New York," I told her.

"Yeah, it usually is, but I hate leaving my dad," she replied.

I glanced over at Castle and the leggy blonde who was standing at his side laughing at whatever joke he was telling. Biting down on the jealousy I felt, I offered Alexis a smile. "I'm sure your father will have plenty to keep himself occupied with while you're gone."

As if sensing where my thoughts had gone, Alexis smiled at me and leaned in closer to whisper, "She's got nothing on you, Kate. Just one of the many groupies who are always trying to win him over."

I wasn't sure what to say so I merely smiled and then turned my attention back to Castle. I watched as he smiled politely at the blonde and then stepped away from her. His eyes searched the room for a moment until they met mine and then he smiled. I returned his smile as he made his way over to join us.

"And what are my two favorite ladies conspiring about?" he asked as he joined us.

"Just talking holiday plans," Alexis replied as she held her hand out and let her father help her to her feet. "I'm going to go check on Gram." Turning to me, she smiled and added, "It was lovely talking with you Kate."

"You, too, Alexis," I replied with a smile.

I watched as she walked away and then turned my attention back to Castle who had settled himself on the arm of the couch. Seeing the smile on his face, I shook my head. "What, Castle?"

"I don't recall you giving me permission to call you Kate," he replied with a slight pout.

"I don't recall giving you permission to follow me around doing research for a character you based on me, but that didn't stop you from doing that," I replied. "I figured if you wanted to call me Kate, you wouldn't ask permission to do so, you would just do it."

"Touché'," he replied with a smile. Nodding to my near empty wineglass, he asked, "Would you like another glass of wine?"

"No thank you," I replied. "I drove myself here tonight and if I have another, I'll be in no condition to leave."

"Then by all means let me get you another," he replied as he got to his feet.

A thrill ran through me as his words brought unbidden images of the two of us tangled together in his bed to mind and I reached for his hand to stop him from going in search of more wine. "Sit, Castle. I am not going to let you get me drunk so you can take advantage of me."

He allowed me to pull him back to the couch and then leaned closer when he replied, "I wasn't looking to take advantage of you, Detective."

"You weren't?" I asked, with a pang of disappointment in my chest.

"No, I wasn't," he replied. "I was looking to get you drunk so I could let you take advantage of me."

Relief flooded me at his words, but I refused to let him know how he affected me. Instead, I turned my attention to the blonde he'd been conversing with and nodded in her direction. "I'm sure you have plenty of willing participants to take advantage of you, Castle."

"But none as stunning as the extraordinary Kate Beckett," he replied as he brought a finger to my chin and turned my face to meet his gaze.

I felt my heart hammering in my chest at the simple statement, his light touch on my face seeming to burn my skin as my body ached for more of him. I swallowed hard in an attempt to reply, but found myself lost in the sincerity of his gaze.

"The buffet is open," Martha called from the kitchen.

Hearing the words seemed to break the spell and I finally managed to tear my gaze away from his. "I believe your mother just rang the dinner bell," I commented.

"Indeed," he replied as he got to his feet.

I longed to touch my face where his finger had just been, but refrained when he offered me his hand to help me to my feet. "May I?"

I placed my hand in his as I got to my feet and tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach when instead of releasing it, he tucked it under his arm and led us to the kitchen. Yes, my life used to be so much less complicated before I met Richard Castle.

XOXOXOXOXO

I was leaning against the kitchen island watching as Castle escorted the mayor and his wife to the door. He was, as always, being a gracious host. "It's nice to see that at least a few of the manners I taught him haven't gone to waste," Martha said as she joined me.

I laughed as I looked over at her. "I'm sure it's a struggle for him at times, balancing the good upbringing with the image he has to maintain."

"Not as much as he'd like you to think," Martha replied.

I glanced back over as Castle turned back to get his publisher's coat from the closet and help her on with it. "Always the gentleman," I stated.

"Indeed," Martha replied. "Just beware of the mistletoe."

"What mistletoe?" I asked.

She jerked her head towards the door and I followed, easily finding the sprig hanging from the high ceiling now that she had pointed it out. "Thanks for the warning," I replied.

I glanced down at my watch and realized that it was well after midnight. "I should be going myself," I said as I turned to her. "Thank you so much for a lovely evening."

"Thank you for joining us, my dear," she replied as she leaned in for a hug. "Have a wonderful Christmas."

"You do the same," I replied as I got to my feet.

"Are you leaving?" Alexis asked as she walked over and joined us.

"It's getting late," I replied. "I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow and want to get an early start."

"Okay," she said as she wrapped her arms around me for a hug. "Have a great Christmas, Kate."

"You too," I told her. "And enjoy a little of that California sunshine for me as well."

"I will," she replied.

I turned then and made my way towards the door where Castle was thanking more of his guests for their attendance before he opened the door to see them out. When he saw me approach, he smiled. "Did you come to join me in my duties?" he teased.

"Actually, I thought I'd just come over here and watch you work for a while," I teased back. "Turnabout is fair play after all."

"I do at least make an attempt to be helpful in your endeavors though," he retaliated.

"Then let me get my own coat," I replied. "And we can call it even for the night."

"Are you crazy?" he asked. "And have to listen to my mother and daughter for weeks to come about how I wasn't a gentleman? No thanks, Beckett."

With that, he turned and reached into the closet for my coat. He walked towards me, holding it open so I could slip my arms into it. "Thank you," I said as I buttoned it.

"You're welcome," he replied as he moved to stand directly in front of me.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to," I said as I met his gaze. "And keep in mind that I do carry a gun."

He looked confused for a moment but then quickly covered it with a laugh. "Ah, I see you've detected my evil scheme to catch you under the mistletoe, Detective."

"You're going to have to do better than that," I replied as I glanced up at the lonely sprig.

"As I told you earlier, Kate," he said as he stepped closer to me. "I have no intentions of taking advantage of you. I'm merely giving you every opportunity to take advantage of me."

My heart rate sped up at the sound of my name on his lips and I couldn't help but drop my gaze down to them. My life was already complicated enough, wasn't it? But I could always blame it on the mistletoe. Right?

Making a decision, I inched closer to him, bypassing his lips to whisper in his ear. "You should be careful who you let take advantage of you, Richard. One of these days, it might backfire in your face."

With that, I leaned back just enough that I could reach his lips and brushed a barely there tease of a kiss against them. Knowing that I was playing with fire, I pulled back for the briefest of moments before leaning back in for another taste. I allowed myself the pleasure of the softness of his lips against mine, tracing his lower lip with my tongue before sucking it briefly into my mouth. When I felt his tongue against my own lips, I broke off the kiss and stepped away from him.

"Merry Christmas, Castle," I whispered as I looked into his dazed expression, wondering if my own mirrored it.

"Merry Christmas, Kate," he replied as he reached past me to open the door for me.

Once the door was closed behind me and I was in the relative safety of the hallway, I lifted my fingers to my lips and smiled. I could still feel the tingle from where his lips had been pressed against mine. This game was indeed dangerous. But what fun was life without a few complications?

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_Thanks for taking the time to read. If you would be so kind as to drop me a line and let me know what you think, it would be appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2

_I really had intended for this to be a one-shot. However, after much prompting, I thought I'd make it a series of one-shots instead. This is the opposite POV of the first chapter, just because I wanted to see what was going through Castle's head while this scene was taking place. Hope you enjoy. And as always, thanks to SD for being a willing guinea pig when I throw these crazy ideas at her._

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I smiled at Alexis when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it."

"Only because you want to make sure that if it's Detective Beckett, you're the first one she sees," Alexis replied with a grin.

I didn't bother trying to deny it. I'm not sure where she gets it from, but my daughter is definitely the smart one in the family. I made my way to the door and opened it with a smile already in place. When I saw it was, indeed, Detective Beckett, my stomach flipped in excitement. "Detective Beckett, I'm so glad you could join us."

I stepped back to allow her entrance and then closed the door behind her. "I love what you've done with the place, Castle," she commented as I stepped behind her to help her out of her coat.

"Thank you," I replied as I inhaled the fragrance of her perfume. "Although Alexis is the one responsible for the ideas behind the decorations. I merely supplied the grunt work."

After hanging her coat, I turned back and offered her my arm, only slightly surprised when she accepted it without comment. "You look absolutely stunning this evening," I told her as I led her into the apartment. It was true. The deep blue of her dress set off her dark eyes, and the cut of it was just enough to be alluring without being provocative. Not that I didn't appreciate it when she dressed provocatively, but there was just something so incredibly sexy about her when she wasn't even trying.

"Thank you," she replied and I noticed a slight blush rise to her cheeks. Surely I hadn't embarrassed her. She had to know how incredibly beautiful she truly was.

My mother and Alexis joined us then, both of them smiling and offering hugs which Beckett accepted without fuss. I was glad that they had accepted her as being an important part of my life, even if she hadn't come to the same conclusion yet.

"The apartment looks lovely, Alexis," she told my daughter.

"Thank you, Detective Beckett," Alexis replied.

The doorbell rang then, and I turned to my mother with a smile. "Mother, would you mind manning the door for a few minutes? I'd like to introduce Detective Beckett to a few people."

"By all means, dear," she replied before sweeping past us towards the door.

"You didn't have to do that," she told me, her eyes meeting mine.

"I wanted to," I replied. "There are actually a couple of people here that I want to make sure to introduce you." Leaning closer, I whispered, "Besides, it will keep mother away from the liquor for a few more minutes."

She laughed then and accepted my arm again when I held it out to her. I'm not sure she would've appreciated the fact that I wanted every man in the place to see her arrive on my arm and know that she was off-limits so I kept that detail to myself. Hopefully, there would come a time when she was ready to hear that, but tonight was not the night.

XOXOXOXOXO

The party was in full swing and all of the guests were mingling as we waited for dinner to be served. I had lost track of Beckett somewhere in the room when I'd been cornered by one of the young ladies who always seemed to get invited to my parties and yet never by me. I really needed to find out which of my colleagues kept bringing the die-hard fans to these gatherings and ask that they stop.

Truth be told, these days I only had eyes for one woman and the constant parade of women wanting their shot with me seemed to lessen my chances with her as opposed to helping the cause. While I'm sure that Clarissa was a nice young lady, nothing about her fit the description of what I was looking for in a woman: brunette, gorgeous eyes, killer legs, gun-toting cop.

I smiled politely at Clarissa as she continued to tell me about her plans for making it on Broadway and excused myself from the conversation. Stepping away from her, I allowed my eyes to search the room until I met Beckett's. I smiled at her and was rewarded with a smile in return so I made my way over to join her and Alexis.

"And what are my two favorite ladies conspiring about?" I asked as I reached the couch.

"Just talking holiday plans," Alexis replied as she held her hand out and let me help her to her feet. "I'm going to go check on Gram." Turning to Beckett, she smiled and added, "It was lovely talking with you Kate."

"You, too, Alexis," she replied with a smile.

I settled on the arm of the couch and smiled as I watched my daughter walk away.

Seeing the smile on my face, Beckett shook her head. "What, Castle?"

"I don't recall you giving me permission to call you Kate," I replied with a slight pout.

"I don't recall giving you permission to follow me around doing research for a character you based on me, but that didn't stop you from doing that," she replied. "I figured if you wanted to call me Kate, you wouldn't ask permission to do so, you would just do it."

"Touché'," I replied with a smile. The truth was that I was afraid if I started called her Kate, I might forget that our relationship was a working one and instead start working on trying to win her heart. Nodding to her near empty wineglass, I asked, "Would you like another glass of wine?"

"No thank you," she replied. "I drove myself here tonight and if I have another, I'll be in no condition to leave."

"Then by all means let me get you another," I teased as I got to my feet.

Her hand reached for mine and stopped me from going in search of more wine. "Sit, Castle. I am not going to let you get me drunk so you can take advantage of me."

I allowed her to pull me back to the couch and then I leaned closer and replied, "I wasn't looking to take advantage of you, Detective."

"You weren't?" she asked, and I almost sensed disappointment in her words.

"No, I wasn't," I replied honestly. I would never want to take advantage of her. If we ever made it to that point, I wanted it to be as two consenting adults who had carefully thought about the repercussions and decided it was worth the risk. I couldn't help but tease her though, so I added, "I was looking to get you drunk so I could let you take advantage of me."

There was a flash of something I couldn't read in her eyes, but before I could decipher it, she turned her attention to Clarissa and nodded in her direction. "I'm sure you have plenty of willing participants to take advantage of you, Castle."

"But none as stunning as the extraordinary Kate Beckett," I replied as I brought a finger to her chin and turned her face to meet my gaze. I needed her to see the sincerity in my eyes. As far as I was concerned, there wasn't a woman in the room who could compare to her.

My fingers longed to trace the smooth skin of her face, to slide down the side of her neck and feel the place where her pulse beat in her throat. I was just about to give in to the temptation when my mother's voice called from the kitchen, "The buffet is open."

Hearing the words seemed to break the spell and she tore her gaze away from mine. "I believe your mother just rang the dinner bell," she commented.

"Indeed," I replied as I got to my feet. I needed to have a chat with my mother about her timing. I offered my hand to help Beckett to her feet. "May I?"

She placed her hand in mine and didn't resist as I tucked it under my arm and led us to the kitchen. Perhaps we were closer to being on the same page than I thought we were. God knows I only tease her with my flirting to hide how intense my feelings for her truly are.

XOXOXOXOXO

I escorted the mayor and his wife to the door, very much aware that my mother and Beckett were talking about me again. It was dangerous…letting my mother near her. I could only hope that she wouldn't inadvertently clue Beckett in to my true feelings for her.

I saw Beckett get to her feet and knew she was preparing to leave. I helped my agent with her coat as I watched Alexis bid Beckett farewell and then smiled when I saw her approach. "Did you come to join me in my duties?" I teased.

"Actually, I thought I'd just come over here and watch you work for a while," she teased back. "Turnabout is fair play after all."

"I do at least make an attempt to be helpful in your endeavors though," I retaliated with a grin.

"Then let me get my own coat," she shot back quickly. "And we can call it even for the night."

"Are you crazy?" I asked as I looked past her to where my mother and Alexis were. "And have to listen to my mother and daughter for weeks to come about how I wasn't a gentleman? No thanks, Beckett."

With that, I turned and reached into the closet for her coat. I walked towards her, holding it open so she could slip her arms into it. "Thank you," she said as she buttoned it.

"You're welcome," I replied as I moved to stand directly in front of her.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to," she said as she met my gaze. "And keep in mind that I do carry a gun."

I wasn't sure what she was referring to for a moment and then I remembered the mistletoe that Alexis and I had hung earlier that day. I laughed then, not in the least bit surprised she had noticed the lone sprig hanging from the ceiling. The sprig which she was currently standing directly beneath. "Ah, I see you've detected my evil scheme to catch you under the mistletoe, Detective."

"You're going to have to do better than that," she replied as she glanced up at it.

"As I told you earlier, Kate," I said as I stepped closer to her, loving the feel of her name on my lips. "I have no intentions of taking advantage of you. I'm merely giving you every opportunity to take advantage of me."

I watched as her gaze dropped to my lips and I couldn't help but wondering if she was thinking about kissing me as much as I was thinking about kissing her. I held my breath in anticipation when she inched closer. But instead of meeting my lips, she bypassed them to whisper in my ear. "You should be careful who you let take advantage of you, Richard. One of these days, it might backfire in your face."

Her nearness had my heart pounding so loudly within my chest that I almost missed my given name rolling off of her tongue. But then she leaned back just enough that she could reach my lips and brushed a barely there tease of a kiss against them. I forced myself to stand still, knowing that one wrong move could easily send her bolting out the door. She pulled away for the briefest of moments before leaning back in for another taste and I knew in that instant that I was addicted to the taste that was this intoxicating woman in front of me.

She stroked her tongue against my lower lip and then sucked it into her mouth. I allowed her to tease me for as long as I could stand before I slid my tongue out to trace against her lips. At that simple contact, she broke off the kiss and stepped away from me.

My clenched my hands into fists to keep from reaching for her and pulling her back into my embrace. I no longer simply wanted her, I needed her.

"Merry Christmas, Castle," she whispered as she looked into my eyes.

I wondered if I looked as dazed by that kiss as she did. I hoped so. Finding my voice, I replied, "Merry Christmas, Kate."

Then I reached past her to open the door and allowed her to retreat into the hallway. I waited until I closed the door behind her before I lifted my fingers to my lips. I could still feel the tingle from where her lips had been pressed against mine. For some reason, I felt as if she had just called my bluff and upped the ante. Had I been bluffing? I didn't think so, but even if I had been, I definitely wasn't now. I was ready to go all in. Was she?

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_Please drop me a line and let me know what you think. And for those of you who asked for more, I hope this didn't disappoint._


	3. Chapter 3

_This picks up a few days after the first two chapters. This is once again from Beckett's POV. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and asked to see more of this story. Enjoy._

* * *

I unlocked the door and pushed it open with my foot, rolling my suitcase in behind me as I looked around the apartment. Satisfied that nobody was lurking in my living room, I closed and locked the door and then made my way to my bedroom. As much as I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my dad, it was good to be home.

I sat my suitcase on the bed to unpack and moved to the answering machine to listen to messages while I did so. The last message played as I sorted clothes and put my toiletries back in the bathroom, and I couldn't suppress a sigh. It had been four days and I'd had absolutely no contact from Castle. Granted, he knew I was going to be out of town visiting my dad, but after our kiss, I'd really expected to hear from him.

I'd gotten a text from Alexis two days ago telling me that she'd arrived in California and the weather was beautiful, but nothing from Castle. Not a single word from the infuriating man since he'd wished me a Merry Christmas and opened the door to let me out of his apartment.

I'd replayed that kiss in my mind countless times in the last four days and was beginning to think I'd completely misread the situation. Then again, there was no mistaking the look on his face when I'd pulled away from him and wished him a Merry Christmas.

I sighed again as I placed my suitcase back in my closet. This was ridiculous. I was acting like a teenaged girl experiencing her first crush. I couldn't seem to help myself though. I was completely off balance when it came to Rick Castle.

I pulled a pair of sweats and a t-shirt out of my dresser and quickly changed into them. Since I didn't have to be back to work for a couple of days, I might as well get my laundry washed. I grabbed my cell phone from the bedside table and headed down the hall to the laundry room. I was lucky enough to have an apartment with a washer and dryer hookup in it, so I didn't have to trudge down to the basement any time I needed clean clothes.

I had no sooner started the first load when my cell phone chirped, alerting me that I had a new text message. I felt my heart rate speed up when I saw that it was from Castle so I quickly opened the message. I smiled when I read his "R u home?" thinking that Alexis must have spent some time teaching him the nuances of texting.

I quickly composed a reply, a simple "yes" that would hopefully not let on to how excited I was to hear from him. Within seconds, my phone rang and the caller i.d. showed that it was him. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before pressing the button to accept the call.

"Beckett."

"Did you have a nice trip?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "Thank you for asking. How about you? Did you have a nice Christmas?"

I made my way to the couch and settled on it with my legs thrown over the arm as he replied, "Very nice. However, I've been holed up in my study writing since Alexis left and I need a break. Would you be interested in joining me for dinner?"

Wanting desperately to see him, but not wanting to let on to that, I paused for a moment before I replied, "I just got in, Castle. I've got to finish unpacking and do laundry and get things sorted out here."

"And you will also need to eat at some point,' he retaliated. "And I'm quite certain that you haven't yet taken the time to restock your fridge, so you might as well accept my offer."

"Restocking the fridge is just one more reason that I shouldn't accept," I shot back.

"Aren't you even slightly curious as to what I've spent the last three days writing?" he asked.

"I assume it's your next bestseller," I deadpanned. "That is what you do, isn't it?"

"Yes, and to celebrate the completion of the first draft of the third installment in the Nikki Heat series, I'm going out to Le Bernardin this evening. So how about it, will you join me?"

I sat up on the couch in shock. "When you said dinner, I was thinking more along the lines of a burger and fries."

"If it will get you to say yes, then I'm willing to compromise," he replied.

I did a quick mental inventory of the dresses hanging in my closet and decided that none of them were suitable for dinner at Le Bernardin. However, I really did want to see him. If for no other reason than to convince myself that I was making a bigger deal out of our kiss than necessary. "Then you've got yourself a deal," I said before I could talk myself out of it.

"Okay, burger and fries it is," he agreed. "I'll be there in an hour. But when we're celebrating the release, it's going to be Italian at Le Bernardin, no exceptions."

"Maybe you'd better wait to see if the book actually sells before you promise that," I teased.

"With you as the inspiration behind Nikki Heat, it's a given that the book will sell," he retaliated.

"Pretty confident in your writing skills there, Castle," I offered, glad to see that we were still able to banter with each other.

"On the contrary," he replied. "I'm just extremely confident in my subject matter." Before I could respond, he added, "I'll see you in an hour, Kate."

"I'll be ready," I assured him.

I disconnected the call and headed back to my bedroom. An hour was plenty of time for a shower and change of clothes before he arrived. Ten minutes later, I laughed at myself as I stood staring into my closet. "It's just dinner with Castle," I chided myself as I finally chose a sweater to go with the jeans I'd decided on. "Granted, it's dinner with Castle after kissing him, but it is still just dinner with Castle."

XOXOXOXO

I had just finished zipping up my favorite pair of black boots when I heard the doorbell. I stopped in front of the mirror for one last look and decided the red cashmere sweater and jeans were perfect for the evening.

I grabbed my purse off the bed and made my way to the front door. After checking the peephole, I took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Right on time, Castle," I commented as I stepped back to allow him entrance.

"Hello, Kate," he replied as he stepped inside. "You look lovely as always."

"Thank you," I replied as I closed the door. "Just let me grab my jacket and we can go."

"I brought you a gift," he said as he held up a brightly wrapped present.

"You didn't have to do that," I said as I took a step closer to him to accept it.

"I wanted to," he replied.

"Should I open it now or wait until after dinner?" I asked him.

He laughed as he watched me lift it up and shake it slightly. It was heavy, but not overly so. "Since I know you won't be able to think about anything other than what's inside if you wait, why don't you go ahead and open it now," he suggested.

I smiled as I met his eyes. He was right. The curiosity would drive me crazy. "Let's go into the other room."

He followed me as I made my way into my personal library. The room wasn't very big, but it had floor to ceiling bookshelves that were filled with books. I carried the gift to my desk and sat it down as I watched his eyes take in the many collections that lined my shelves. "Quite the collection you have here, Detective," he commented as he ran across the section that housed every book he'd ever written.

"I enjoy reading," I stated as I turned my attention to the gift in front of me.

I ripped into the paper, pulling it off and tossing it into the trash can before lifting the lid off the box. I peeled back the red tissue paper and found a stack of paper. I pulled the stack from the box, estimating it to be almost an entire ream.

The top page contained only the words, "Heat Stroke" in bold black letters.

I lifted my eyes to his as comprehension dawned. "An advance copy of your latest Nikki Heat book?"

"It got the final approval last week," he said as he met my gaze. "And as the inspiration behind Nikki Heat, I wanted you to be the first to read it."

I looked down at the manuscript in my hands and felt tears fill my eyes. "I don't know what to say," I told him.

"Thank you would be okay," he replied with a grin.

I sat it down on my desk and walked over to wrap my arms around his waist. "Thank you, Castle."

His arms immediately wrapped around me and pulled me tight into his embrace. "You're welcome, Kate."

I allowed myself to enjoy the feel of being in his arms for a moment longer before I finally stepped away from him. "Come on, let's go to dinner," I told him. "Otherwise, I might decide I'd rather stay here and read."

He laughed at that, but didn't hesitate when I stepped past him and headed back to the door. I grabbed my jacket out of the closet and he helped me into it before opening the door and allowing me to precede him into the hallway. We paused just long enough for me to lock the door and then I took his arm and we headed for the elevator. While I wasn't even going to try to figure it out right now, I had the feeling that something significant had just shifted in our relationship.

XOXOXOXO

Dinner was fabulous, in spite of the interruptions that happened when someone would recognize Castle and get up the courage to approach him for an autograph. He apologized profusely every time they walked away, but he never once refused an autograph. When I asked him about why he never told them no, he reminded me that it was the readers who made his books a success and he would hate to lose a reader because he came off as arrogant and unapproachable in public.

When we left the restaurant, he asked if I was up for a walk and I found myself agreeing, not ready for the evening to end. The sun was just setting, but already the temperature had dropped several degrees. I was glad that I had worn my heavy jacket and scarf and bundled up tightly against the cold as we set off down the street.

"I love the city during the holidays," he commented as we walked. "The lights and decorations give it such a festive feel that it's easy to forget all the bad things people do to each other."

"I wish I felt the same way," I replied. "To me, Christmas in the city just means more dead bodies as people are overcome with depression and decide that the only way to deal with it is to take their own lives or to strike out at those whom they feel are responsible."

I expected some sort of retort, but was surprised when he took my hand in his and said, "Then we should make this Christmas season one that doesn't remind you of dead bodies but gives you something else to focus on for a while."

I laced my fingers in his and gave his hand a squeeze as I leaned into his shoulder and asked, "Is that why you brought me a murder mystery to read? To get my mind off of dead bodies?"

He laughed at that. "Maybe I should've thought that through a little better?"

"Nah," I replied. "It's a great gift."

We walked hand-in-hand for several blocks, one of us occasionally pointing out a storefront with decorations that we liked, but for the most part just enjoying each other's company. When I shivered involuntarily, he stopped and looked at me. "Are you cold?"

I wanted to tell him no, but the truth was that I was freezing. "A little bit," I replied.

He immediately dropped my hand and stepped out into the street and hailed a cab. As soon as one stopped, he opened the door for me and waited until I slid over before joining me in the backseat. I gave my address to the drive and then looked over at Castle. "This was nice, Castle."

He reached for my hand again and pulled it into his lap as he replied, "I agree. We should do it again sometime."

I looked down at our joined hands wondering what exactly was going on between us, and then I met his gaze. "We definitely should."

I thought he was going to kiss me then, and it wasn't until he shifted his gaze away from mine that I realized how much I wanted to feel his lips on mine again. The feeling was somewhat overwhelming and I was suddenly glad that he hadn't followed through on it.

"So tell me something, Detective Beckett," he said as he shifted a bit in the seat to look at me.

"What's that, Castle?" I replied.

"Why do you have more than one copy of two of my books in your library? Did you get so mad at something that happened in them that you started ripping pages from them?"

I laughed at that, only slightly surprised that he noticed the extra books in my collection. I briefly considered avoiding the question, but knew that would only make him more curious, so I decided to give him as truthful an answer as I felt comfortable with. "The two extras are both autographed copies," I told him. "I make it a habit to always buy an extra copy to read when I'm fortunate enough to get one of my books autographed by the author."

"I know when you got 'Storm Fall' autographed," he stated. "That was our first case together. But what about the other one?"

"It was a long time ago," I replied. "You were doing a book signing as part of your promotional tour for the release of the book and I was actually just in the right place at the right time."

"How long did you have to wait in line?" he asked as his eyes probed mine.

This was getting into dangerous territory so I decided to try to deflect this line of questioning. "What's the longest you ever waited in line for something, Castle?"

"Four hours for tickets to a Bon Jovi concert when I was a teenager," he replied.

"Was it worth it?"

"Absolutely," he agreed with a smile. "Once I had the tickets in hand, Maggie Boyd was quick to agree to accompany me to the concert. It was one of the most memorable nights of my teenaged life."

I rolled my eyes at that. Leave it to Castle to relate everything back to sex. "You're terrible," I told him.

"Agreed," he replied. "But I've already given you permission to spank me and you have yet to take me up on the offer, so it's your own fault that I continue to be this way."

I couldn't help but laugh. I had a feeling he would enjoy being spanked too much for it to be profitable in encouraging him to change his ways. Before the conversation could digress any further, we reached my apartment building.

"Thanks for dinner, Castle," I said. "I had a good time tonight."

"Aren't you going to let me walk you to the door?" he asked.

"You'll just have to come back down and hail another cab," I pointed out. "You might as well just keep this one."

He leaned up to the driver and said, "Keep the meter running. I'll just be a minute." He then opened his door and stepped out before offering me a hand out of the cab.

As I got to my feet beside him, he closed the cab door and took my hand in his. "Castle, this isn't necessary."

"At least let me make sure you get inside," he replied.

I decided not to press the issue and instead allowed him to walk me inside. The lobby was nearly deserted when we entered the building and he led us to the elevators and pushed the call button. Releasing my hand, he turned to stand directly in front of me. "I had a lovely evening, Kate. Thank you for your company."

He then lifted his hand to my chin and tilted my face up to his. I closed my eyes when I realized his intentions and the brush of his lips against mine sent the blood racing through my body. I sighed into the kiss and felt his tongue tracing against the seam of my lips. I parted my lips in invitation and felt the glide of his tongue against mine as his hands moved to my waist and pulled me closer to him. My arms found their way around his neck as we stood there tasting each other, mouths and tongues expressing things that neither one of us had found the courage to say aloud.

The ding of the arriving elevator brought us back to our senses and we reluctantly pulled away from each other. The doors opened to an empty elevator and Castle leaned down and brushed another gentle kiss against my lips before stepping away completely.

"Good night, Kate," he stated as I stepped into the elevator.

I couldn't stop the silly grin that I knew was plastered on my face. "Good night, Castle," I finally managed right before the doors closed.

I pressed the button for my floor and then leaned back against the wall as the elevator began its ascent. If he waited four days to call me after _that_ kiss, I might just track him down and shoot him.

XOXOXOXO

* * *

_Thanks so much for taking the time to read. I hope you enjoyed it._


	4. Chapter 4

__

I hadn't intended to write this scene from Castle's POV, but it wouldn't leave me alone so I gave in. For those of you who find it redundant to read the same scene from more than one POV, I apologize. Feel free to just skip this chapter.

* * *

I leaned back in my chair with a smile on my face. That conversation had gone relatively well. It had taken a great deal of discipline to wait until I knew she was going to be back in town before contacting her, but I had managed to pull it off. I had actually been tempted to follow her home from my party, but I knew that would have only sent her running. I was hopeful that four days of giving her space would work to my advantage.

Four days of giving her space had allowed me to immerse myself in the character of Nikki Heat and I had actually finished the latest manuscript in only a quarter of the time my publisher had given me. If Beckett had turned down dinner, I would've undoubtedly managed to finish the outline on the fourth book in the series before morning.

I replayed our kiss in my mind for at least the thousandth time and wondered if she'd given it a second thought once she walked out the door. Surely the look on her face when she'd stepped away from me meant that it had affected her at least a little bit.

It was time to put the cards on the table. I wanted her to take my interest in her seriously. It had long ago stopped being a game.

I ran my hand down across my face and decided I could use a shave before I left for dinner. If things went well, I was hoping to get the opportunity to get up close and personal with her again. Just the mere thought of having her lips pressed against mine sent a tingle of anticipation down my spine. This could prove to be an interesting evening.

XOXOXOXO

I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the elevator on Beckett's floor. I don't think I'd been this nervous since my first date. Her gift was tucked securely under my arm…I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. I rang the doorbell and waited patiently until it opened.

"Right on time, Castle," she commented as she stepped back to allow me entrance.

"Hello, Kate," I replied as I stepped inside. "You look lovely as always." She was wearing a simple red sweater and a pair of jeans that were well-fitted to her shapely body, but she looked absolutely amazing.

"Thank you," she replied as she closed the door. "Just let me grab my jacket and we can go."

"I brought you a gift," I said as I offered her the package.

"You didn't have to do that," she said as she took a step closer to me.

"I wanted to," I replied. She smelled as wonderful as she looked.

"Should I open it now or wait until after dinner?" she asked, forcing my thoughts back to the conversation and away from how much I wanted to wrap her in my arms and pick up where we'd left off four days ago.

I laughed as she shook it slightly. I could imagine her fidgeting through dinner, anxious to return and open her gift, so I offered her an out, "Since I know you won't be able to think about anything other than what's inside if you wait, why don't you go ahead and open it now."

Her smile made me glad I had made the suggestion. "Let's go into the other room."

I followed her down the short hallway into what appeared to be a library. There was a desk and chair in the center of the room, but that was the only furniture other than bookshelves. I quickly took in the room, estimating that there were hundreds of books on her shelves. I glanced at the first shelves on the left and noticed that her books were arranged in alphabetical order by author. A quick scan brought me to the section that contained the books I'd written…including extra copies of at least two of them. "Quite the collection you have here, Detective," I said as I turned my attention back to her.

"I enjoy reading," she replied simply before ripping into the paper on her gift. I held back a laugh at the gusto with which she made quick work of the wrapping. She apparently was not a woman who felt it wrong to actually tear the paper.

I watched as she peeled back the tissue paper and then lifted the manuscript from the box. It took only a moment for her to recognize what I'd given her and then she lifted her beautiful eyes to mine

"An advance copy of your latest Nikki Heat book?"

"It got the final approval last week," I said as I met her gaze, wondering if she understood how important she was to me. "And as the inspiration behind Nikki Heat, I wanted you to be the first to read it."

I watched as she looked back down at the manuscript and I wasn't sure, but it looked almost as if she was going to cry. Without looking back up at me, she said, "I don't know what to say."

Feeling the sudden tension in the room, but not completely understanding it, I offered her a grin. "Thank you would be okay."

I'd barely gotten the words out of my mouth and she was suddenly in front of me, her arms wrapped around my waist and her face buried in my chest. "Thank you, Castle."

I instinctively wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tighter into my embrace. I wish she would let me hold her like this more often. Allowing myself to inhale her scent, I offered a quiet, "You're welcome, Kate."

All too soon, she stepped away from me. "Come on, let's go to dinner," she said. "Otherwise, I might decide I'd rather stay here and read."

I laughed, but there was no doubt in my mind that she was serious so I quickly followed her to the door. I helped her into her jacket and then opened the door for her. It took her just a moment to lock the door behind us and then she surprised me by taking hold of my arm as we headed toward the elevator. It was definitely going to be an interesting evening.

XOXOXOXO

I enjoyed the smile on Beckett's face when I told the cab driver to take us to Jackson Hole. I smiled back at her as we settled in for the ride. "Just because we agreed on burgers and fries doesn't mean we have to have second-rate burgers and fries," I told her.

"I'm beginning to think you're a food snob," she told me with a laugh. "First the espresso machine and now this."

"If that were the case, I would never be able to eat during the course of a workday with you," I replied. "Besides, maybe I'm just trying to impress you."

"Then I should probably tell you now that I'm not easily impressed," she replied. "Even if I do occasionally enjoy a cup of good coffee."

"That was actually more for my benefit," I told her with a grin. "I cannot stand bad coffee."

"See," she returned with a smile of her own. "A food snob."

I let out a sigh and dropped my head in mock shame. "Alas, there is no hope for me. Richard Castle, best-selling author and food snob."

"Admitting it is the first step to recovery," she dead-panned.

"What if I don't want to recover?" I asked as I met her gaze again.

"Then there's no hope for you, Castle."

"There's always hope, Detective Beckett," I retaliated.

I watched as her gaze drifted from my eyes down to my lips before quickly returning to my eyes and couldn't hold back the grin on my face. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who'd been thinking about that kiss the other night.

Oh yeah, it was definitely going to be an interesting evening.

XOXOXOXO

We were seated in a corner booth, with Beckett's back to the wall as was her custom. Unfortunately, Jackson Hole didn't provide the same level of discretion for clientele as La Bernardin would have, so we'd already been interrupted several times by fans of my books asking for autographs. I made it a point to never turn away a fan when it wasn't unavoidable, so I smiled and signed my name countless times throughout the course of our meal.

I apologized after each interruption, hoping that Beckett wouldn't get pissed and want to cut the evening short. After the fourth apology, she smiled at me. "Why don't you ever just say no?"

"Without readers, my books wouldn't be a success," I explained to her. "And I would absolutely hate to lose a fan because I came off as arrogant or unapproachable in public."

"But what about the times when you really just don't want to deal with another fan?" she asked.

I smiled softly as I answered her. "Those are the times when I stay home, because I know that going out in public brings the possibility of being recognized." After a pause, I asked, "Does it bother you?"

She thought about it for a moment and then said, "When it creates havoc at a crime scene, yes. I guess I'm starting to get used to it the rest of the time and just chalk it up to part of what makes you…well, you."

I pondered that while the waiter refilled our wineglasses and asked about dessert. It was somewhat refreshing to realize that she actually spent enough time thinking about me to be able to say that something in my life was part of what made me who I am. Perhaps this attraction wasn't as one-sided as she wanted me to believe after all.

XOXOXOXO

We walked out of the restaurant and I watched as Beckett zipped up her jacket and wrapped her scarf around her neck. I zipped up my own jacket against the chill in the air and then looked to her with raised eyebrows. "Do you feel up for a walk?"

"A walk would be lovely," she agreed.

We fell in step together and headed down the sidewalk. "I love the city during the holidays. The lights and decorations give it such a festive feel that it's easy to forget all the bad things people do to each other."

"I wish I felt the same way," she replied. "To me, Christmas in the city just means more dead bodies as people are overcome with depression and decide that the only way to deal with it is to take their own lives or to strike out at those whom they feel are responsible."

I hadn't expected that, but realized that I should have. As a homicide detective, her perspective would undoubtedly be skewered by the violence she dealt with on a daily basis. I reached for her hand, wanting to ease some of the burden she carried, but not knowing how. Instead, I offered what I could, "Then we should make this Christmas season one that doesn't remind you of dead bodies but gives you something else to focus on for a while."

She surprised me by lacing her fingers with mine and squeezing my hand instead of pulling away. Even more surprising though was when she leaned into my shoulder and asked, "Is that why you brought me a murder mystery to read? To get my mind off of dead bodies?"

I had to laugh at that. She had a very good point. "Maybe I should've thought that through a little better?" I offered.

"Nah," she replied with a smile on her face. "It's a great gift."

I kept her hand in mine as we walked, feeling a surge of excitement that she allowed the simple contact. We walked like that for several blocks, one of us occasionally pointing out a storefront with decorations that we liked, but for the most part just enjoying each other's company.

We had been walking for quite some time when I noticed her shiver against me. I immediately stopped and looked over at her. "Are you cold?"

I could see the struggle in her eyes about admitting it, but the harsh reality of the New York winter won out. "A little bit," she replied.

I released her hand and stepped out into the street to hail a cab. The fact that she didn't even protest my sudden actions convinced me that she was probably much colder than she was letting on. I felt like an idiot for having not noticed sooner. I wanted her to look back on this evening as enjoyable, not remember it for being miserably cold walking through the city.

It was only a moment before a cab pulled up beside me and stopped. I opened the door for her and waited until she slid over before joining her in the backseat. She was already giving her address to the driver when I closed the door.

She looked over at me then and smiled. "This was nice, Castle."

Relief flooded me at her soft words, so I reached for her hand again and pulled it into my lap. "I agree. We should do it again sometime."

I watched as her eyes dropped down to our joined hands and then back up to meet mine before she replied, "We definitely should."

I wanted desperately to kiss her then. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold, but her hand was warm in mine and her eyes absolutely sparkled with merriment. Afraid that she would feel trapped in the confines of the car, I forced my gaze away from hers and shifted a bit in the seat.

In an effort to lighten the moment, I decided to ask her about the duplicate copies of my books she kept in her library. I wasn't surprised by her answer that she had one copy that was autographed and one that was for reading. I imagined that to be the case when I first saw them. Her reticence to answer my question about how long she had to wait in line to get the first one signed intrigued me though. Not willing to push the issue tonight, I allowed her the change of subject when she asked.

Hopefully, there would be plenty more evenings when I could probe into the mind of the extraordinary woman who was Kate Beckett.

The conversation continued in a lighter mood until we reached her apartment building. She turned to me then and said, "Thanks for dinner, Castle. I had a good time tonight."

"Aren't you going to let me walk you to the door?" I asked, appalled at the thought of our evening coming to an end in the backseat of a cab.

"You'll just have to come back down and hail another cab," she pointed out. "You might as well just keep this one."

I had to admit that her logic made sense. However, there was no way that I wasn't going to at least see her inside the building. I leaned up to the driver and said, "I'll just be a minute," knowing that he would wait with the meter running. I then opened the door and climbed out before offering my hand to assist Beckett.

As soon as she was standing beside me on the pavement, I closed the door and took her hand again.

"Castle, this isn't necessary," she protested.

"At least let me make sure you get inside," I replied.

I didn't miss the slight eye roll she gave me, but she decided to humor me nonetheless. When we entered the building, the lobby was nearly deserted. I led us to the elevators and pushed the call button, and then I released her hand so I could turn to stand in front of her.

"I had a lovely evening, Kate," I told her as we waited for the elevator car to arrive. "Thank you for your company."

I had intended to leave it at that, but she had once again dropped her eyes from mine. I lifted my hand to her chin and tilted her face up to mine, wanting to see her sparkling eyes one more time. As soon as her eyes locked on mine, I knew I was in trouble. As if being drawn by a magnetic force, my lips slowly lowered, desperate for another taste of her.

Her eyes closed just before my lips brushed against hers and in that instant, I knew she wanted this as much as I did. My lips closed over hers, my tongue tracing lightly back and forth against the seam of her lips. I felt her sigh into my mouth as her lips parted in invitation. I lowered my hands to her waist to anchor her to me as I tasted her mouth, my tongue gliding against hers in an erotic dance.

I felt her hands around my neck, securing my mouth to hers and I allowed myself to deepen the kiss. I wanted to know everything there was about her, but more than that, I wanted to share the same of myself. It was intoxicating being in her arms, her tongue sliding gently against mine as her fingers played with the hair on the back of my neck.

I have no idea how long we stood there like that, but the ding of the elevator finally brought us back to our surroundings. We stepped away from each other slightly, neither of us really wanting to completely break contact. When the elevator doors opened on an empty car, I leaned down and brushed one more gentle kiss against her lips and then forced myself to step away from her. I was afraid that if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to let her go.

"Good night, Kate," I said simply, not really trusting myself to say more.

I knew then that the grin on her face would be the subject of my dreams that night. The doors had already started to close before she replied, "Good night, Castle."

I stood there until the light above the elevator indicated she had reached her floor and then I let out a deep breath and headed back out into the cold. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to stay away for four days this time.

* * *

_Thanks for taking the time to read. Please feel free to drop me a line._


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you for all the kind reviews on the previous chapters. This is from Beckett's POV and picks up after their dinner date. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

I turned the last page of the manuscript over and placed it on the floor with the others. I glanced at my watch, surprised to see that it was already after 3 a.m. It had been a long time since I'd allowed myself the indulgence of getting lost in a book to the point that I'd lost track of time. Never knowing when I was going to get called out on a murder case made getting sleep when possible a necessity, not a luxury.

I gathered the loose pages off the floor into my lap and straightened them back up into a neat pile as I pondered the fictional character based on me. I couldn't help but wonder if the attraction between Heat and Rook was an extension of the attraction between myself and Castle or if he had added it solely for the purpose of making the character seem sexier.

There were many places in the Nikki Heat books that made me wonder if Castle was drawing from his personal experiences with me or merely tapping into his enormous writing skills. I flipped through the pages until I found one scene in particular that made me uneasy when I read it the first time. I re-read it again, unable to quell the uneasiness in my stomach as the words made their way into my consciousness.

_Rook watched as Detective Heat strode confidently across the room, her demeanor friendly and compassionate in spite of the circumstances. The victim's brother stood as Heat approached the desk, but she waved him back to his chair with an easy smile._

_Rook couldn't hear the words, but even from the distance, he could feel the palpable relief of the victim's brother as Heat explained what they were doing to find his sister's killer. Rook stood in the Captain's doorway and watched as she conversed with the sole family member of their victim, wondering again at the grace with which she handled such things. _

_Suddenly realizing that he wasn't alone, Rook turned to see Captain Montrose watching Nikki as well. "How does she do that?" he couldn't help but ask, desperate to better understand this woman who was his lover, but whom he wanted to be so much more._

_The Captain merely shrugged and replied, "Better than anyone else I know."_

_Rook could hear the admiration in the older man's voice and knew that no further explanation would be forthcoming. It seemed impossible, but he felt his respect for her grow even more in that instant. The way she dealt with those grieving such a horrific loss touched a chord somewhere deep inside of him. A place he wasn't sure he even knew existed before he met Nikki Heat._

I re-read the paragraph again, almost certain that this was one of those instances that had actually taken place at some point in our working relationship. If so, I was glad that he viewed how I dealt with grieving family members as something worth noting. Unlike many police officers, I had actually been in their shoes before. I understood the devastation they were going through and made absolutely certain to treat them with the respect they deserved. I couldn't always answer the questions they posed, but I did my best to be honest and to take the time to listen.

I allowed my mind to drift back to my own experience with the police after my mom's death. The detective in charge of the case had been cold and harsh in dealing with me and my dad. I swore then that once I became a detective, I would never treat victims' families the way we were treated. It wasn't always easy to keep that promise, because there were times when my instincts were screaming at me that the family members were involved, but until I had the evidence to prove it, I would continue to treat them with dignity and respect.

I shook my head to clear the dark mood that tried to settle on me any time I allowed myself to think about my mom's murder. I wasn't going to let myself go there. Not tonight. Not after a wonderful evening spent with Castle followed by an entire night of reading one of his books.

I smiled as I thought about the last time I'd stayed up an entire night to finish one of his books. It was the autographed copy he'd asked about earlier. It felt like such a long time ago and yet I could remember it as if it was yesterday. I had been in a dark place then...trying desperately to find my mother's murderer and coming up against brick wall after brick wall. I'd marked on my calendar the release date for his book and had taken the morning off work to stand in line at the book store for the opportunity to meet him.

To be honest, I'd had a bit of a crush on Richard Castle, the writer, for quite a few years. I'd read my first Derek Storm novel in college and had been instantly hooked. It had taken some time, but I'd finally managed to collect every book he'd ever written. I'd even joined his fan group online and followed his career with great interest. I'd been upset when he'd gotten remarried and irrationally pleased when he announced his divorce.

So when he announced the book tour would be kicking off right here in New York City, I'd scheduled time off work and made sure I was at the book store early enough to get in line. In spite of my planning, I had still waited for well over an hour for my chance to step up to the table and have him autograph my book. He'd looked up at me with those sparkling blue eyes and smiled as he took the book from my hand.

"Whom should I make it out to?" he asked politely.

It took a moment to find my voice, but then I replied quickly, "Kate."

He looked up at me for a long minute and I felt as if he was seeing into my soul. "You have beautiful eyes," he stated.

"Thank you," I replied, suddenly feeling incredibly exposed.

He winked then and turned his attention back to the book in front of him to autograph it. His pen flew across the page with a flourish and then he snapped the cover shut and held it out to me. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Kate."

I pulled myself from the memory and got up from the couch. I grabbed the manuscript for "Heat Stroke" and carried it to my library. I placed it carefully on my desk and then moved to the shelf that housed my Richard Castle collection. I took down the book that quite literally saved my life and opened it to read once again the simple words he had scrawled that day. I still had no idea how he'd known exactly what I needed to hear that day, but somehow he had. And his simple _"To Kate: Let it go and allow yourself to move forward. Richard Castle" _had finally given me the strength and courage I needed to move past the uncertainty and close that chapter in my life.

I traced my finger along the ink before I closed the book and put it back on the shelf. When I'd brought Castle in to interview him on that first case and he'd looked across the table and commented on my eyes, I'd been certain that he remembered me from that book signing. It had been quite a relief to discover that he didn't. It was hard enough to keep my feelings in check when he was clueless as to how much his flirting and teasing affected me. If he had any idea how much of an impact he'd had on my life before we'd ever met, I imagine he would be quite incorrigible.

I made my way through the apartment turning off the lights as I allowed my thoughts to drift back to our good night kiss earlier. I smiled as I remembered the feel of his lips against mine and the silkiness of his hair beneath my fingertips. Yes, Rick Castle was definitely a complication in my life. I guess the only question now was how much of a complication I was willing to allow him to be.

As I reached my bedroom, I decided to see if I could complicate his life a little as well. Picking up my cell phone, I quickly composed a text message. If he was asleep, he would have to forgive the interruption. _"I solved it before Nikki Heat."_

It was less than a minute when his reply hit my inbox. _"Finished already?"_

"_No interruptions."_ I sent back.

"_Would you like one?"_

I nearly dropped my phone at that. It shouldn't have surprised me though. Castle was always flirting, trying to see how far I'd let him go. Guess he'd been asking how much of a complication I was going to let him be for longer than I'd been listening.

I made a decision and composed my reply. _"Only if you bring ice cream with you."_

His response time startled me._ "Chocolate? Be there in 20."_

"_Yes. And yes."_ I sent back.

I wondered then if we were ready for this. Remembering the feel of his hands on my waist when he'd kissed me earlier and the thrum of excitement that had raced through my body at the simple contact, I wondered how I'd managed to avoid this for as long as I had. My casual crush on an unknown writer had developed into something much more real once I'd gotten to know the man, Richard Castle. He was still the writer, but he was much more than that. He was a father, a son, a friend, a partner, and hopefully soon, a lover.

"Oh god, what have I gotten into?" I asked aloud.

* * *

_So what do you think? Should I continue to complicate their lives for them?_


	6. Chapter 6

_In keeping with the rest of the story, this one is from Castle's POV._

* * *

I leaned back in my chair and lifted my arms above my head in a much needed stretch. I had been sitting at my desk writing for over two hours now and my back was reminding me of how horrible my posture was when I was lost in the story. After I stretched, I got to my feet and headed towards the kitchen for something to drink.

After leaving Kate in her elevator earlier, I had been absolutely wired. I'd come back to my apartment and tried to watch a basketball game, only to find that I was zoning out to replay our goodnight kiss repeatedly in my mind. Desperately needing something to distract myself, I'd started putting away Christmas decorations.

Three hours later, the apartment had been turned back to its pre-Christmas state and I was still wired. I stared at my phone for several long minutes, debating the wisdom of calling Beckett this late. Once I finally convinced myself that I needed a better reason than just wanting to hear her voice, I called Alexis instead.

I listened intently as she told me how much fun she was having with her mother and I was glad that we'd agreed she should spend some time with her over Christmas break. When she asked how things were going with me, I told her about finishing the latest book and then about having dinner with Kate. I left out the part about our goodnight kiss, and I was grateful when Alexis didn't push for details. Our kiss under the mistletoe had earned me quite a lot of ribbing from both my mother and daughter and I wasn't anxious for a repeat performance.

When we finally said our goodnights, I realized that sleep wasn't going to be visiting me any time soon, so I made my way to my office and settled at my desk with my laptop. I had learned many years ago that the best way to deal with restless nights was to channel them into writing time. So I opened the finished draft of the latest book and read it over for needed revisions. Once I was satisfied with it, I e-mailed it to my editor, knowing she would send it back with plenty of suggestions before I was ready to send it to the publisher.

Having accomplished that, I opened a new document and began plotting out my next book. Within an hour, I had a rough draft of an outline and had already mapped out the main murder. From there, I'd begun sketching in the main plot points, including the relationship between Heat and Rook. Once I had the main points filled in, I went back to the beginning and started filling in the blanks. It hadn't taken long to get lost in the story, because I very much enjoyed writing the character of Nikki Heat. There were layers to the character that I hadn't even discovered myself so I enjoyed writing her story to see what she wanted to reveal of herself in this book.

I rolled my shoulders as I poured myself a glass of milk and carried it back to the office. I was finally past the point of being too wired to sleep, but the words were flowing so easily that I didn't want to stop writing just yet. I settled back into my chair and once again lost myself in the world of Nikki Heat.

I was in the middle of writing an argument between Heat and Rook when my phone beeped, indicating that I had a new text message. I glanced at the time on my computer as I reached for my phone, surprised to see that it was after 3 a.m. I smiled when I saw the text was from Beckett. It turned into a laugh when I read her simple, _"I solved it before Nikki Heat."_

"_Finished already?" _I sent back, a thrill of excitement rushing through me at knowing she'd stayed up most of the night to finish one of my books.

"_No interruptions."_ Came her quick reply.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking of different ways I would like to distract her. Before I could rethink the logic of the question, I fired back, _"Would you like one?"_

I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I saw her, _"Only if you bring ice cream with you." _come across my screen and I let it out in a sigh of relief.

I replied quickly, not wanting to give her the opportunity to change her mind. _"Chocolate? Be there in 20."_

I called for a cab from the house line, while I pulled on my shoes. I had no sooner hung up when I saw her response. _"Yes. And yes."_

I felt my heart skip a beat at that and I hurried to the kitchen. I grabbed the chocolate ice cream from the freezer and quickly scrawled a note for my mother that I had gone out and would be back sometime in the morning. I didn't want to run the risk of her waking up and panicking when she found that I wasn't home. It was better to leave a note.

As I pulled my jacket on and stepped out into the hallway, I forced myself to calm down. Just because Kate Beckett had invited me to her apartment in the middle of the night did not mean she was ready to throw all of her defenses out the window and allow me into her life. There was always that possibility though, and that thought alone put a smile on my face as I reached the lobby and headed out to meet my cab.

* * *

_Oh what should I do next?_


	7. Chapter 7

_First off, please take note of the rating change. I would call it borderline smutty._

_Next, thank you for all the kind reviews. They are much appreciated. _

_And finally, this chapter is from Beckett's POV._

* * *

I jumped at the sound of the doorbell, even though I'd been expecting it. It had quite possibly been both the longest and shortest twenty minutes of my life. I got up from the couch and made my way to the door, taking a deep breath to calm myself before I opened it.

"Chocolate ice cream as requested," Castle said when I opened the door. As he held up the container of ice cream for my inspection, I immediately relaxed. Whatever I had convinced myself my invitation to him had entailed, he had obviously taken it at face value.

I took the ice cream from him and then stepped back to let him in. "Tell me this was in your freezer and you didn't have to stop at a 7/11 on the way here," I said as I watched him lock the door behind himself and then hang his jacket in the closet.

"Busted," he replied. "It's Alexis' favorite, so I make sure there is always plenty of it on hand."

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm craving chocolate ice cream," I replied as I led the way to the kitchen.

"You are welcome to raid my stash any time you'd like," he offered with a smile.

I sat the ice cream on the counter and reached into the cabinet for bowls. "There's whipped cream and fudge sauce in the fridge," I told him.

He opened the refrigerator and pulled them both out, placing the fudge sauce in the microwave to warm as I scooped the ice cream. Satisfied with the servings, I handed him the container to put in the freezer and then took the fudge from the microwave. "A lot or a little?" I asked as I spooned the hot fudge onto my ice cream.

He took in the amount I poured on my own bowl and grinned. "A little bit less than yours."

I returned his smile and added the fudge to his bowl, refusing to apologize for the fact that I loved chocolate. When I reached for the whipped cream, he stepped to my side and took the can from my hand. "I've got this part," he said as he liberally applied whipped cream to both bowls.

I laughed at the amount of whipped cream he gave us and he stopped to look at me. "What?"

"Why bother with the ice cream?" I teased him. Apparently, he enjoyed whipped cream as much as I enjoyed chocolate.

In response, he lifted the can of whipped cream to his mouth and dispensed it straight to his mouth. When he held the can out to me, I shook my head. Somehow, the thought of letting him squirt whipped cream into my mouth was more erotic than it should have been.

"I'll pass, Castle," I said as I picked up my bowl of ice cream.

"Your loss," he replied as he placed the can back into the refrigerator. Once he'd picked up his own bowl, I led us back to the living room and settled on the couch.

I was surprised when he sat in one of the straight backed chairs instead of joining me on the couch. "So what did I drag you away from for this ice cream interlude?" I asked.

"Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook were in the middle of what was turning into a doozy of an argument," he replied between mouthfuls of ice cream.

"I thought you finished the book earlier?" I said as I dug into my own bowl.

"I couldn't sleep so I was trying to be productive," he replied. "Since I'd already managed to put all of the Christmas decorations away, I went ahead and started on the outline for the next book. Once the outline was finished, the main points were easy to write. I was in the process of adding details when I got your text."

"I was afraid I would wake you," I confessed.

"I wouldn't have minded," he said as he looked up and met my gaze. "And I'm not surprised that you solved the case before Nikki Heat. You're a much better detective than she is."

I smiled at the compliment and decided I owed him one as well. "It was a very good book, Castle. In spite of understanding Nikki's frustration with having Rook follow her around, I like the way you're developing the characters and their relationship with each other. I have a feeling that Rook is going to end up in hot water with her though if he doesn't back off of her past and let it stay in the past."

"Thank you," he replied softly, acknowledging the compliment. With a nod towards my library, he added, "I promise to get you a bound copy for your collection as soon as they're available. So what makes you think Rook is going to start digging in her past?"

"Personal experience," I replied, looking up from my ice cream.

His eyes were soft when they met mine. "I can assure you that I learned my lesson well enough from that experience that I will never repeat it. Not even in my fictional world. I'm quite certain that Nikki wouldn't be willing to forgive Rook the indiscretion, and then where would I be?"

I realized then that I had truly forgiven him for going behind my back and betraying my trust. I smiled to assure him of the same and then decided to lighten the mood a bit. "I suppose I'm not allowed to post any details of the book on your fan page?" I teased.

His gaze met mine again and the laughter in his eyes surprised me. "I figured it would be safe in your hands if for no other reason than you wouldn't run the risk of me finding out your screen name and spending hours going through the archives to see what you've posted on the site."

"Who says I've ever posted?" I asked.

"You do," he replied. "Every time you avoid answering my questions about when you became a fan."

"Maybe I avoid answering the questions because of when and where you ask them," I pointed out as I finished my ice cream. After all, he did always seem to ask when we were working a case and there were other people around.

"Okay then," he replied. "When did you become a fan of my work?"

I smiled as I got to my feet and walked towards him to collect his empty bowl as well. I leaned close and said, "It was before you became a fan of mine." Then I straightened and made my way to the kitchen. That one had been way too easy.

I placed the bowls in the sink after rinsing them and had just turned around when he made his way to the kitchen. "Who says I'm a fan of your work?" he asked as he stopped in front of me.

"You do," I replied as I met his gaze. "On every page of your Nikki Heat novels."

"And what if I'm merely using Nikki Heat as an excuse to be close to you?" he asked as he leaned closer to me.

I couldn't stop my gaze from drifting to his lips. He was standing close enough that I could feel his breath across my face. Lifting my eyes back to his, I raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Who says you need an excuse to be close to me?"

"You do," he replied, his words soft and his lips mere millimeters from mine. "With every eye roll and deflection you send my way."

My heart was hammering in my chest. He was making it clear that the choice was-and always would be-mine to make. In spite of the desire I could see in his eyes, I knew that if I side-stepped him, he would let me go.

I had no desire to step away from him though. Instead, I closed the remaining distance between us, my hands slipping around his waist and pulling him closer as I opened my mouth over his. He tasted of chocolate and something else that was uniquely him. It was addictive. _He_ was addictive.

I sucked on his lower lip until I heard a slight moan escape from him and felt his hands move to the back of my head. He tilted my head slightly and then he devoured my mouth with his. His teeth scraped across my lips, followed closely by the soothing feel of his tongue. I parted my lips to allow him entrance and wasn't disappointed when he slipped his tongue against mine.

Our first kiss under the mistletoe had been laced with innocence and curiosity and our good night kiss earlier had been filled with questions and longing, but this kiss was pure heat and desire. His mouth was hot and demanding on mine, daring me to give myself completely to him.

I couldn't hold back the moan when his lips left mine and found their way to my neck. I felt his tongue trail gently along the sensitive spot just beneath my ear and I moaned again. Dear god, the man was good with his mouth.

"What are you doing to me, Beckett?" he whispered against my neck.

"Hopefully the same thing you're doing to me, Castle," I replied.

He pulled back then to look at me and I could see the struggle for control in his eyes. "Are you sure about this?" he asked softly.

I nodded my head and leaned forward to brush my lips against his again. "Very sure," I breathed across his lips. "Are you?"

"Yes," he replied before capturing my mouth with his again.

Instead of the desire I'd expected, this kiss was gentle and filled with promise. The tenderness in his touch as his hands trailed down my arms to take my hands in his nearly brought tears to my eyes. "Not here," he whispered as he broke off the kiss, his lips brushing against the skin of my cheek lightly as he spoke.

I was only slightly surprised at the interruption. I'd always imagined our first time together would be hot and out of control. Then again, I'd never imagined Castle showing up at my apartment in the middle of the night with chocolate ice cream after a mind-blowing goodnight kiss several hours earlier. The man was full of surprises.

I took his hand in mine and led him to my bedroom. Once inside, I turned to face him, suddenly feeling shy and unsure of myself. I had wanted this man for longer than I'd actually known him and to be standing before him on the precipice of actually having him was a bit terrifying.

As if reading my mind, he pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. "Kate, if you're not ready for this…"

I didn't let him finish the thought. Instead, I lifted my mouth to his and smothered the words with my lips. Just knowing that he was still giving me the choice was enough to calm my nerves.

There was no gentleness in our kiss then. It was all heat and desire again, hands caressing and pulling at clothes while our mouths discovered each other. Before I even realized it, we were both naked on my bed.

"You are so incredibly beautiful," he said as he kissed his way up my body.

I didn't think he'd appreciate the fact that I felt the same way about him. The man was absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous. I pulled him down for another kiss, and groaned at the feel of his body pressing into mine. I felt as if my entire body was on fire where it was touching his, and I was desperate to feel him inside of me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and shifted beneath him, which finally caused him to lift his head and look at me. "Let me get protection," he whispered as he leaned down to brush his lips against mine again.

"Top drawer," I told him, not wanting him to have to leave me. It took him only a moment to find the box and pull one of the foil packets out.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I took it from him and ripped it open. He groaned as I slid it on his throbbing erection and gave him a firm squeeze as I finished. I had no sooner released him then he was moving over me, rubbing against me but not entering me.

"Castle, stop teasing," I ordered.

"Always so bossy," he shot back.

For once though, he actually followed my instructions and he slid into me effortlessly. My breath caught at the sensation of him filling me and he stilled over me, his eyes locked on mine.

"You feel so amazing," he said.

I agreed completely, but was at a loss for words. I was awash in sensation, the fire building inside of me pushing away everything but the feel of our bodies joined so intimately together. He moved then and I followed his lead, meeting him thrust for thrust as our bodies raced towards completion.

I cried out his name as I came apart in his arms and was rewarded with the pleasure of feeling him shudder within me. He buried his head in the crook of my neck as his own orgasm washed over him and I ran my hands soothingly across his back as our breathing slowly returned to normal.

I couldn't hold back a groan of disappointment when he pulled away from me to dispose of the condom, but then he was back and his arms were around me again. I rolled into him and settled into the crook of his arm before I leaned up to kiss him. "Are you staying?" I asked, hoping he would but wanting to give him the option.

"Unless you want me to go," he replied as he brushed the hair off my face.

I could feel the tug of sleep pulling at me so I leaned up for another kiss. Then I settled my head on his chest and replied, "Wake me in a couple of hours so we can do that again."

I felt the rumble of his laughter and heard his soft, "Yes, ma'am," before I drifted into a contented sleep.

* * *

_Thanks for reading. Please drop me a line and let me know what you thought._


	8. Chapter 8

_This is from Castle's POV. And I think I'll be wrapping this little experiment up soon. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review this story._

_For SD, happy birthday. Thanks for sharing your fascination with Nathan Fillion._

* * *

I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell for Beckett's apartment. The twenty minutes it had taken to get here had quite possibly been both the longest and shortest twenty minutes of my life. Regardless of the fact that it was almost four in the morning, I was thrilled that she had invited me over for ice cream. I could only hope that when she tired of my company, she would let me kiss her good night again. The possibility alone was worth the trip.

I couldn't help but smile when she opened the door. She was in a pair of loose fitting cotton track pants and an oversized sweatshirt that looked as if it had been washed about a thousand times. I easily pictured her curled up on her couch reading my manuscript and felt a surge of pride at the thought. "Chocolate ice cream as requested," I said, holding it up for her inspection.

She smiled as she took it from me and then stepped back to let me in. "Tell me this was in your freezer and you didn't have to stop at a 7/11 on the way here," she said as I locked the door and hung up my jacket.

"Busted," I replied. "It's Alexis' favorite, so I make sure there is always plenty of it on hand."

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm craving chocolate ice cream," she replied as she led the way to the kitchen.

"You are welcome to raid my stash any time you'd like," I offered with a smile. I hoped she would take me up on the offer. It would be nice to have her visit for something other than official police business.

I laughed at the amount of fudge sauce she put on her ice cream, but only because I knew how much whipped cream I was going to put on mine. It was quite the domestic scene…the two of us in her kitchen preparing a midnight snack together.

When I followed her back into her living room, I opted for one of the chairs instead of joining her on the couch. She looked incredibly relaxed and I didn't need the temptation of sitting that close to her while we enjoyed our ice cream.

"So what did I drag you away from for this ice cream interlude?" she asked.

"Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook were in the middle of what was turning into a doozy of an argument," I replied between mouthfuls of ice cream.

"I thought you finished the book earlier?" she said as she dug into her own bowl.

"I couldn't sleep so I was trying to be productive. Since I'd already managed to put all of the Christmas decorations away, I went ahead and started on the outline for the next book. Once the outline was finished, the main points were easy to write. I was in the process of adding details when I got your text."

"I was afraid I would wake you," she stated.

I wanted to confess that she was the reason I'd been so restless, just to see her response. Instead I looked up and met her gaze. "I wouldn't have minded. And I'm not surprised that you solved the case before Nikki Heat. You're a much better detective than she is."

She smiled at the compliment and I was glad I'd decided to say it. She surprised me when she returned the favor. "It was a very good book, Castle. In spite of understanding Nikki's frustration with having Rook follow her around, I like the way you're developing the characters and their relationship with each other. I have a feeling that Rook is going to end up in hot water with her though if he doesn't back off of her past and let it stay in the past."

"Thank you," I replied softly, acknowledging the compliment. Then I nodded towards her library and added, "I promise to get you a bound copy for your collection as soon as they're available. So what makes you think Rook is going to start digging into her past?"

I knew the answer already, but figured it needed to be said. She'd been right when she'd accused me of being selfish and not taking into account her feelings when I started digging into her mother's death. Her curt, "We're done" at the time had cut me to the core and was not something I ever wanted to experience again.

"Personal experience," she replied, looking up from her ice cream to meet my eyes.

I held her gaze, wanting her to see the truth in my eyes. "I can assure you that I learned my lesson well enough from that experience that I will never repeat it. Not even in my fictional world. I'm quite certain that Nikki wouldn't be willing to forgive Rook the indiscretion, and then where would I be?"

She smiled then and I somehow knew that the incident was truly behind us. Her next question had me struggling to keep from laughing. "I suppose I'm not allowed to post any details of the book on your fan page?"

I wondered if she realized just how much I trusted her not to do exactly that. I would be in so much hot water with my publishing company that I would probably never be able to find my way out of it. "I figured it would be safe in your hands if for no other reason than you wouldn't run the risk of me finding out your screen name and spending hours going through the archives to see what you've posted on the site," I told her.

"Who says I've ever posted?" she asked.

She was toying with me and I knew it. If she hadn't posted something that she didn't want me to read, she wouldn't get so prickly every time I brought up the subject. "You do," I told her. "Every time you avoid answering my questions about when you became a fan."

"Maybe I avoid answering the questions because of when and where you ask them," she replied as she finished her ice cream.

I finished my last bite of ice cream and then met her gaze. "Okay then, when did you become a fan of my work?"

The smile on her face as she got to her feet should have warned me, but I was distracted by her proximity when she leaned close and took the empty bowl from my hands. "It was before you became a fan of mine," she said softly and then she straightened and made her way to the kitchen.

I let her get away with it for only a moment before I followed her into the kitchen. Her back was to me when I first walked in so I was able to get directly behind her before she turned around from the sink.

I was definitely invading her personal space, but she didn't appear to be bothered by it so I held my ground as I taunted her. "Who says I'm a fan of your work?"

Her gaze was steady as she held mine and replied, "You do. On every page of your Nikki Heat novels."

She was right and I knew it, but I wasn't going to admit it and back down. Instead, I leaned even closer and asked, "And what if I'm merely using Nikki Heat as an excuse to be close to you?"

I watched as her eyes dropped to my lips and I knew that I wasn't the only one thinking about our earlier kiss. When her eyes met mine again, her eyebrow went up in challenge. "Who says you need an excuse to be close to me?"

She was kidding, right? I'd had to call in a rather large favor from the mayor in order to be granted access to her work, and in spite of the success of "Heat Wave", it had taken a direct order from the police chief for her to allow me to continue working with her. "You do," I replied softly, wanting her to understand that while I would push her on the professional front, when it came to _this_, it would have to be her choice. "With every eye roll and deflection you send my way."

I wanted to kiss her again, to feel her body pressed into mine, but if she stepped away from me, I was prepared to let her go.

She didn't step away though. Instead, she closed the slight distance between us and pressed her lips against mine as she wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me closer. I opened my mouth to her probing tongue and allowed her to set the pace until she sucked my lower lip into her mouth. I couldn't hold back the moan that escaped me and I quickly lifted my hands to her head to hold her steady as I took control of the kiss.

Two kisses and I was already addicted to her. I couldn't get enough. I scraped my teeth across her lips and then soothed them with my tongue until I felt her lips part beneath mine in invitation. I wasted no time in sliding my tongue against hers, absolutely loving the lingering taste of chocolate and that underlying essence that was completely her.

I wanted her. There was no denying it. I trailed my lips from her mouth to her neck and ran my tongue gently along the smooth skin just beneath her ear. When I heard her moan, my entire body hardened in response.

"What are you doing to me, Beckett?" I asked as I continued to caress her neck with my tongue.

"Hopefully the same thing you're doing to me, Castle," she replied.

I forced myself to pull back then so I could see her eyes. I needed to know that she really wanted this before things got out of control. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded her head and leaned forward to brush her lips against mine again. "Very sure," she breathed across my lips, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. "Are you?"

"Yes," I replied, barely getting the word out before I captured her lips again. I refused to give in to the desire roaring through my body, instead kissing her with as much gentleness as I could muster. I absolutely was not going to let this happen in her kitchen. Not this time anyway. I trailed my hands down her arms and took her hands in my mine as I broke off the kiss. Not wanting to lose contact with her, I brushed my lips against her cheek as I said, "Not here."

She looked surprised, but took my hand and led me to her bedroom. I quickly took in the room, noting the tidiness of her apartment also extended to her bedroom. When she turned to face me, I could see the fear in her eyes and it stopped me in my tracks. The absolute last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my embrace. "Kate, if you're not ready for this…"

That was as far as I got before she lifted her mouth to mine and smothered the words with her lips. Whatever apprehension she'd felt upon entering her bedroom had apparently disappeared as suddenly as it had manifested because she was suddenly all heat and desire again – her hands quickly divesting me of my clothes as I returned the favor for her.

She was as magnificently sexy spread out before me as I had imagined she would be. I trailed my hands over every curve, taking note of every sensitive spot that caused a gasp or moan and made sure to follow with my lips as I feasted on her body.

"You are so incredibly beautiful," I told her as I kissed my way up her body.

Her eyes were dark with desire when she pulled me down for another kiss and shifted beneath me, her arms around my neck and the movement of her hips making it more than obvious that she was ready for me.

Her hands squeezing me as she rolled the condom on my erection nearly ended things before they'd begun. I teased her for a minute as I got my body back under control, not in the least bit surprised when she grew frustrated and said, "Castle, stop teasing."

"Always so bossy," I shot back, but this was one time when I was more than happy to follow her lead. I slid into her effortlessly, and felt my breath catch in my throat when I locked my eyes on hers. "You feel so amazing," I told her.

I expected a witty comment along the lines of "I told you that you had no idea how good it would be" and was surprised at her silence. I held still for a long moment to give her time to adjust to me and when I finally moved, she met me thrust for thrust.

We easily found our rhythm and it wasn't long before she was crying out my name in pleasure. I wasn't far behind her and I buried my head in the crook of her neck as I hurtled over the edge. Her hands ran soothingly across my back as our breathing slowly returned to normal.

As I felt my heart rate slowing, I separated myself from her to deal with the condom. Her groan of disappointment went straight to my groin and I wanted nothing more than to be able to start over again. I returned to the bed quickly and pulled her into my arms, thrilled at the feel of her rolling into my embrace and leaning up to kiss me.

"Are you staying?" she asked.

The question forced me to realize that this was well beyond the parameters of our established relationship. The choice was still hers though. I reached down and brushed the hair off of her face as I replied, "Unless you want me to go."

I could see the weariness in her gaze when she leaned up for another kiss. Then she settled her head on my chest and said, "Wake me in a couple of hours so we can do that again."

I couldn't hold back my laughter as I replied, "Yes, ma'am."

I held her in my arms and watched as she drifted off to sleep, before allowing the sound of her gentle breathing to lull me into a contented sleep myself.

* * *

_For those of you who requested this from Castle's POV, I hope you weren't disappointed. Please drop a line._


	9. Chapter 9

_Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!_

* * *

I was drifting languorously in that place between sleep and wakefulness when I felt the caress of a smooth finger against my cheek. I took a moment to remember the events of the previous night and allowed a smile to form on my face. Without opening my eyes, I sighed contentedly into Castle's chest, which I was currently using as a pillow, and asked, "Is it morning already?"

"It was already morning the first time you woke me up," he replied as his finger moved from my cheek to my shoulder. "It's well on the way to afternoon now."

My smile widened at that. The sun had just been creeping over the horizon when I'd woken the first time, only slightly disoriented and panicked about what we'd done. As I'd rolled onto my side to watch Castle sleeping peacefully in my bed, I'd forced my unease away and focused instead on how incredibly hot the sex between us had been. Within moments, I was no longer content with just watching him and had taken great pleasure in waking him with my hands and mouth trailing across his body.

He had returned the favor only a couple of hours later, using his mouth to take me over the edge before joining his body with mine again for another mind-blowing orgasm. I had fallen asleep in his arms once again and wasn't really surprised that I had awaken still cocooned in his warmth.

His finger traced a lazy trail from my shoulder to my collar bone and then down to the top of my breast before I finally opened my eyes. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied as his hand stilled and he leaned down to brush his lips against mine.

I returned the kiss lazily, enjoying the feel of his hard body beneath mine. When we finally broke apart, I met his gaze. "What time is it?"

"A little after eleven," he replied as his hand once again began trailing across my skin. "I thought you might want to get cleaned up and go get something to eat."

I slid my hand down his chest until I found him, and I felt him harden under my touch. "I'm pretty content where I am," I replied as I stroked him firmly, drawing a groan from him and feeling my own body respond to the sound.

"I am in no way complaining," he stated. "However, I do have to meet Alexis's plane this afternoon."

I stilled my hand at that, remembering that we both had lives that we had to get back to and that _this_ was not a normal part of those lives. I started to roll away from him, but his arm around my shoulders tightened to hold me in place.

"We should probably talk about this," he suggested.

I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't really even want to think about it outside of the context of right now. But he was right in that we probably should. I took the coward's way out though. "I'm listening," I stated.

He smiled and loosened his hold on me, obviously satisfied that I wasn't going anywhere. "I don't want this to be a one night thing between us," he said.

As soon as he gave voice to the words, I realized that I agreed with him. "I don't either," I replied.

"But I also realize that ours can never be a typical relationship," he continued, earning a smile from me. "Your job and my fascination with it pretty much guarantee that we will constantly be butting heads."

"So what are you suggesting?" I asked, hoping that he wasn't going to suggest we go back to just our working relationship and yet realizing that it would probably be the best thing to do.

"I would like to give this a shot," he said softly, lifting his hand to brush the hair out of my eyes. His gaze met mine then and he continued, "You are an incredible woman, Kate. I can't promise you that I'm not going to drive you crazy or that this is going to be easy, but I would very much like to have the opportunity to somehow make this thing between us work."

I realized then that I had been holding my breath in anticipation of his answer and I let it out slowly. It was absolutely insane…the idea that the two of us could make a relationship work…and yet, I knew that I wanted to try. "If we're going to do this, we have to have some ground rules," I said.

"Like keeping it out of the office?" he replied with a smile.

"For starters," I agreed, unable to hold back my own grin. "And then maybe what we're going to tell Alexis and your mother."

"Come with me to the airport this afternoon," he replied. "And we can tell Alexis together."

I pulled away from him then and sat up to stare at him. It wasn't until I saw his eyes drift down to my breasts that I realized I was still naked. "Eyes up, Castle," I ordered. He quickly complied and I continued, "What exactly are _we _going to tell her?"

He grinned at that. "How about if we tell her that you finally succumbed to my charming ways and dragged me back to your lair to have your way with me?" he teased.

"How about if we don't?" I countered, suddenly panicked again. Alexis was a smart girl. She would take one look at the two of us at the airport and know we'd spent the night together.

"Okay then," he replied, his face once again growing serious. "How about if I go meet Alexis at the airport and I can fill her in on the details she needs to know before we meet you later this evening for dinner?"

"What if she doesn't approve?" I asked, knowing that he held his daughter's opinion in very high regard.

"She will," he countered. "She already thinks you're pretty amazing, not to mention that she thinks you're a good influence on me."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. I found it hard to believe that anyone, especially Alexis, could think I was a good influence on him. I saw his eyes once again drop to my breasts and I felt the heat in his gaze as he watched me. "I'm not sure I can really be considered a good influence on you," I told him as I got to my knees and crawled towards him. "But I'm going to trust you on this one."

"And you're not going to have a problem spending the night at my place on occasion?" he asked as he placed his hands on my waist and lifted me until I was straddling him.

"I can't promise you that," I told him as I slid back until I could feel him pressed against me and then reached for a condom so I could get him inside of me again. "However, I will promise that I'll at least tell you if it feels like it's going to be a problem."

"Good enough for now," he replied as he reached up to squeeze my breasts. I moaned my appreciation even as I lifted myself so he could enter me.

"How long do we have?" I asked as I glanced over at the clock.

"Long enough to enjoy this," he replied as he pulled me down for a long kiss before once again pushing my body over the pinnacle of pleasure.

As we laid there together trying to catch our breath, I felt the rumble of laughter echo through his chest and I once again lifted my head to look at him. "Something funny, Castle?" I asked.

"I was just thinking that I like the way my name sounds when you're screaming it in pleasure much more than when you're irritated at me for something stupid I've said or done," he replied.

"There's a solution to that, you know?" I offered.

"Never leaving your bed?" he asked.

"No," I replied as I rolled off of him. "Stop doing stupid things."

"I should've known," he replied.

"Come on," I said as I rolled out of the bed. "Let's get showered so you're not late picking up Alexis."

He followed me into the bathroom and I turned on the hot water before stepping into the shower, him following close behind me. The water had grown cold by the time we finished washing each other and stepped out. I offered him a towel and then wrapped one around myself before turning back to watch him dry off.

"I should probably go home before I go to the airport," he commented as he wrapped the towel around his waist. "I could use a shave and some clean clothes."

I reached out and ran my hand along his stubbled cheek, recalling the feel of it against the smooth skin of my stomach earlier. "I don't know, Castle. I kind of like the scruffy look."

His eyes darkened at the simple comment and he took a step towards me. I laughed and stepped away from him towards the bathroom door. I had the strangest feeling that I was going to very much enjoy teasing him in such subtle ways throughout the work day, knowing that he was completely helpless to keep from getting aroused.

"You have a plane to meet," I reminded him as I made my way back into the bedroom. I started sorting through the pile of clothes on the floor, tossing mine into the laundry basket and his onto the bed so he could get dressed.

Once he finally had his jeans on, I dared to move to my bureau and pull out my own underclothes. I dropped my towel to the floor and pulled on a pair of navy blue panties and had just reached for the matching bra when I felt his arms wrap around me from behind and his hands move up to cup my breasts.

I started to protest, but he turned me in his arms and lowered his head to my right breast, sucking hard on the soft skin just above my nipple. When he moved his mouth to my left breast, I looked down and saw the bright red mark he'd left. "Castle!" I said as I pushed him away.

He looked up at me then and grinned mischievously. "I don't want to be the only one thinking about doing this again later," he said.

I looked down and saw the matching marks and knew that every time I caught sight of them, I would remember his mouth on me. "Payback is a bitch, Castle," I reminded him. "Don't forget that."

"I'll be looking forward to it," he replied.

He then leaned down and kissed me, his arms snaking around my waist and pulling me tight against his body. I felt my nipples harden as they came into contact with his still bare chest and couldn't hold back the moan as his hands moved to my ass and pressed me against his hardening erection.

I was breathless when he finally pulled away from me. "To be continued," he said as he turned back to the bed and quickly pulled on his shirt. When he sat down to pull on his socks and shoes, I smiled and reached for my bra, pulling it on quickly and then moving to my closet for a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

Once we were both dressed, I walked him to the door and watched as he pulled on his jacket. Deciding I owed him one for his little display in the bedroom, I pushed him against the door and leaned in for a breath stealing kiss while I ran a hand down to cup him. When he moaned into my mouth, I pulled away from him and smiled. "You won't be the only one thinking about continuing this later," I assured him. "Call me after you pick up Alexis and let me know where you want to meet for dinner."

He leaned his head back against the door and took a deep breath as he smiled. "You are a wicked woman, Kate Beckett."

I winked at him and replied, "And don't you forget it, Richard Castle."

"Not a chance," he replied. He then took a step towards me and kissed me again before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway.

I closed and locked the door behind him and then turned around to lean against it. Rick Castle was definitely going to be one of the most interesting complications I'd ever had in my life. I smiled as I realized that I was looking forward to it.

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_This is the last chapter from Beckett's POV. The next one will be from Castle's POV and that will be it for this one. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. It's always encouraging to hear from readers if for no other reason than to know someone is actually reading the story._


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. I had a very busy weekend...good, but busy. Hope you enjoy._

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I glanced over at the clock on Beckett's nightstand, not surprised to find that it was already after eleven. I was quite certain that it was after four before we ever even made it to her bedroom, and I know the sun had already been brightening the sky when I'd woken to the feel of her mouth moving hotly over my erection while her hands trailed across my body. I smiled at how much I had enjoyed waking up to the feel of Kate Beckett's hands and mouth on my body.

I glanced down at her sleeping form and sighed contentedly. She was still draped across my body, her head resting on my chest and our legs tangled together beneath the sheets. We had fallen asleep that way after I had woken her up much the same way she had me only hours before. I'd been surprised when she'd allowed me to take her over the edge with my mouth, not expecting her to give up so much control. The knowledge that she trusted me that much aroused me almost as much as the sight of her coming apart in my arms and the sound of my name on her lips when she did so. Instead of allowing her time to recover, I had quickly sheathed myself in her heat and driven us both to another incredible orgasm.

I reached a finger up and brushed the hair from her face so I could watch her sleep. She was breath-taking. As I placed my finger on her cheek and trailed it softly over the smooth skin, I wondered if we had made a mistake. There was no denying the electricity between the two of us, especially not after last night, but would we still be able to continue our working relationship? Would we be able to continue this aspect of our relationship as well or would she decide that it was only going to be a one time thing?

As I continued to trail my finger along her cheek, I saw a smile form on her lips and knew that she was awake. I felt her sigh into my chest and heard her ask, "Is it morning already?"

Not wanting to give her the opportunity to panic in the full light of day, I traced my finger from her cheek to her shoulder and teased her. "It was already morning the first time you woke me up. It's well on the way to afternoon now."

I watched as her smile widened and hoped she was recalling the circumstances surrounding that wake-up call with as much fondness as I had. I allowed my finger to follow the path of her collar bone to her sternum before shifting direction and moving to the top of her breast. Her eyes finally opened then and she met my gaze as she said, "Good morning."

"Good morning," I replied as I stilled my hand, content to feel the beat of her heart beneath my hand as I leaned down to brush my lips against hers.

She returned the kiss lazily, and I enjoyed the feel of her body resting against mine. When we finally broke apart, her eyes were as bright as her smile. "What time is it?" she asked.

My eyes dropped to where my hand was once again moving across the smooth skin of her breast as I replied, "A little after eleven. I thought you might want to get cleaned up and go get something to eat."

I felt her hand slide down my chest until she reached my length and I felt myself harden under her touch. "I'm pretty content where I am," she said with a grin as she stroked me firmly, drawing a groan from my lips.

I had to be the luckiest man alive. And by far the dumbest as well, as evidenced by the next words out of my mouth. "I am in no way complaining. However, I do have to meet Alexis's plane this afternoon."

Her hand stilled at that, and I knew that as much as I didn't want to bring up the subject, we were going to have to talk about _this_. She started to roll away from me, but I refused to let her go. I tightened the arm that had been so casually draped around her shoulders when we woke and spoke softly. "We should probably talk about this."

I could see in her eyes that she didn't want to have to deal with this any more than I did. I felt her take a deep breath and then she met my gaze. "I'm listening."

I couldn't help but smile at that. Of course she was going to make me go first. If I wanted something different from this than she did, making me say it first would give her time to steel her resolve and not give anything of herself away emotionally. I loosened my hold on her shoulders, content that she wasn't going to run just yet and decided to jump in with both feet.

"I don't want this to be a one night thing between us."

"I don't either," she replied.

I was surprised by her instant agreement. I had anticipated having to sell her on the idea. I continued anyway, "But I also realize that ours can never be a typical relationship." She smiled at that and I pressed on. "Your job and my fascination with it pretty much guarantee that we will constantly be butting heads."

"So what are you suggesting?" she asked.

I hoped she didn't expect me to suggest we go back to our working relationship. The mere thought of never having her in my arms again caused physical pain in my body. "I would like to give this a shot," I said softly, lifting my hand to brush the hair out of her eyes. I met her gaze and continued, "You are an incredible woman, Kate. I can't promise you that I'm not going to drive you crazy or that this is going to be easy, but I would very much like to have the opportunity to somehow make this thing between us work."

I watched her eyes and imagined I could see the debate going on in her mind. I had tried to be as honest as possible with her. "If we're going to do this, we have to have some ground rules," she said.

I couldn't keep the smile from my face when I replied, "Like keeping it out of the office?"

"For starters," she agreed, a smile blooming on her face as well. "And then maybe what we're going to tell Alexis and your mother."

"Come with me to the airport this afternoon," I suggested. "And we can tell Alexis together."

I felt her panic then and she pulled away and sat up before I could stop her. My eyes immediately dropped to her breasts, her nipples pebbling in the cool air of the room.

"Eyes up, Castle," she ordered. I quickly complied, remembering that we were having a serious discussion on the future of our relationship, and not wanting to get distracted from that, even though her naked body was quite the distraction. "What exactly are _we _going to tell her?"

I couldn't help but grin. "How about if we tell her that you finally succumbed to my charming ways and dragged me back to your lair to have your way with me?" I teased, amused that she was more concerned about how my teenaged daughter was going to react to the news than she had been about how I would act in the office.

"How about if we don't?" she countered and I could actually see the panic in her eyes.

I dropped the teasing tone and met her eyes. "Okay then. How about if I go meet Alexis at the airport and I can fill her in on the details she needs to know before we meet you later this evening for dinner?"

"What if she doesn't approve?" she asked.

"She will," I countered, wanting to reassure her. "She already thinks you're pretty amazing, not to mention that she thinks you're a good influence on me."

She laughed at that and my eyes were once again drawn to her breasts. I couldn't help but remember how they fit so perfectly into my hands. I felt myself harden again as she got to her knees and crawled towards me. "I'm not sure I can really be considered a good influence on you, but I'm going to trust you on this one."

"And you're not going to have a problem spending the night at my place on occasion?" I asked as I moved my hands to her waist and lifted her until she was straddling me.

"I can't promise you that," she said as she slid back until I was pressed against her before reaching for a condom. "However, I will promise that I'll at least tell you if it feels like it's going to be a problem."

"Good enough for now," I replied as I finally gave up the struggle and reached up to squeeze her breasts. She moaned her appreciation, and the sound shot straight to my groin as she lifted herself so I could enter her.

"How long do we have?" she asked with a glance at the clock as she slowly began to ride me.

"Long enough to enjoy this," I replied as I pulled her down for a long kiss. Our pace quickly went from slow to frantic and it wasn't long before she was screaming my name as we fell over the edge together.

As we laid there together trying to catch our breath, I couldn't hold back my laughter as I thought of how incredibly sexy it was to hear my name on her lips as she came.

"Something funny, Castle?" she asked as she lifted her head to look at me.

"I was just thinking that I like the way my name sounds when you're screaming it in pleasure much more than when you're irritated at me for something stupid I've said or done," I told her, my eyes locking with hers.

"There's a solution to that, you know?" she stated.

"Never leaving your bed?" I asked, hopeful that she would agree.

"No," she replied as she rolled off of me. "Stop doing stupid things."

"I should've known," I replied as I watched her get out of the bed.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get showered so you're not late picking up Alexis."

I willingly followed her into the bathroom and stepped into the shower behind her. By the time we actually finished washing each other, the water had grown cold, but I didn't mind. Having a wet, naked, slippery and aroused Kate Beckett in my arms was worth the chill.

She handed me a towel when we stepped out, then wrapped one around herself before turning to watch me dry. "I should probably go home before I go to the airport," I commented as I wrapped the towel around my waist. "I could use a shave and some clean clothes."

She reached out and ran her hand along my cheek, and I watched as her eyes darkened with desire. "I don't know, Castle. I kind of like the scruffy look."

I took a step towards her to follow through on her comment, but she laughed and stepped away from me towards the bathroom door. "You have a plane to meet," she reminded me as she made her way back into the bedroom and started sorting through the pile of clothes on the floor. I watched as she tossed my clothes onto the bed and I couldn't help but wonder if my days from now on were going to be filled with her subtle teasing that would inevitably leave me turned on and unable to do anything about it.

I moved to the bed and pulled on my boxers and jeans, keeping one eye on Beckett. When she dropped her towel and pulled on a pair of navy blue panties, I moved to stand behind her. It wasn't until she reached for the matching bra that I wrapped my arms around her and reached up to cup her breasts.

She started to protest, but I turned her in my arms and lowered my head to her right breast, sucking hard on the soft skin just above her nipple, certain to leave a mark. I had already moved my mouth to her left breast before she looked down and saw the bright red mark I'd left.

"Castle!" she protested as she pushed me away from her.

I looked up from my handiwork and flashed her a grin. "I don't want to be the only one thinking about doing this again later," I told her.

I watched as she looked down at the matching marks and hoped that every time she caught sight of them, she would remember my mouth on her. "Payback is a bitch, Castle," she stated as she looked back up at me. "Don't forget that."

"I'll be looking forward to it," I replied, knowing that for there to be payback there would have to be more of this type of activity.

I then leaned down and kissed her, my arms snaking around her waist again and pulling her tight against my body. I felt her nipples harden as they came into contact with my still bare chest and heard her moan as I moved my hands to her ass and pressed her against my hardening erection.

We were both breathless when I finally pulled away from her. "To be continued," I said as I forced myself to release her and turned back to the bed to pull on my shirt. When I sat down to pull on my socks and shoes, she smiled and reached for her bra, pulling it on quickly and then moving to her closet for a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

Once we were both dressed, she walked me to the door and watched as I pulled on my jacket. She surprised me when she pushed me against the door and leaned in for a breath stealing kiss while she ran a hand down to cup me. I was still hard, and I couldn't help but moan into her mouth. She pulled away then and smiled. "You won't be the only one thinking about continuing this later," she stated. "Call me after you pick up Alexis and let me know where you want to meet for dinner."

I leaned my head back against the door and took a deep breath as I smiled. "You are a wicked woman, Kate Beckett."

She winked and replied, "And don't you forget it, Richard Castle."

"Not a chance," I replied, knowing that the last few hours were forever imprinted on my mind. Not wanting to leave, but knowing that I had to, I took a step towards her and kissed her again before stepping out into the hallway.

I heard her lock the door behind me and couldn't hold back my smile. I was very much looking forward to this new chapter in our relationship.

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_That brings us to the end of this little story. Thanks for all the kind reviews and encouragement._


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